After Work Drive–9-27-2018

Some days I get out early.  Some days far later.  On this day: early.  I sent out to just “take some pictures.”  Most were 5-10 mins photo stops.  Here we go!

The beauty of this area is there is always something to take pictures of. Old buildings, or stone walls, or wicked reflections, or… flowing water….

I drove around towards Crawford Notch. Stop on here and there for more pictures. Caught the sun off some mountains.

Then I made a stop at Silver Cascade (I think that’s the name!) and made a quick jaunt up that, and again, more flowing water!  Then on the way home, I found Fourth Iron camping grounds and stop there before I lost the light. 

New York, New York–9-22-2018

Roughly about a month ago, my friend, Melissa messaged me with a link.  It was Dax Shepard in NYC.  After a quick message to Julia, asking if it was okay and I could afford it, I said YES!  (This is why we are still married, we ask the little things). 

Mel booked everything (she’s a pro now!) and boom!  I worked the previous Sunday, I drove over to her place on Thursday and off we went!

I could never, ever live here. I could, however, visit! I’m not an urban photographer. I hope I did it justice! Thursday we both started throwing out “things we wanted to do”. Honestly, we knew we could do 2 things, one in the AM and then one in the early PM (with lunch). We tossed out a few ideas, but both that stuck was the 9/11 Memorial. And the other, Little Italy.

The 9/11 Memorial is a wonder in structure, as well as something else – somber and thought provoking, it’s one of those places that brings you back to that day – which is the point. Seeing the names and the pictures is – surreal. I’ve a close friend who was flying out of NYC that very day, and I remember the worry if that was her flight, was she okay. I cannot even imagine knowing a loved one was IN those buildings. I had the stroke of luck to meet Shannon Stapleton in Stongington, ME, last year. He and I talked photography and all the time we spoke, his name rang a bell. It ran a bell because he was a “witness” to what had happened. Before he and I parted ways that night, I asked him, he’s a photographer for Reuters, why his name was familiar. His face changed just slightly, that haunting in his eyes appeared and he said “I was at 9/11, I took pictures when it happened.”. I saw his name on the witness plague that day. The world IS a far smaller place than we imagine.

My key series made it’s way to NYC! I think it is one of my fave pictures to date.

Afterwards! We made our way to Little Italy! And low and behold, there was a street fest going on. From Ferrara’s Pastries to having a wickedly good lunch at Lunetta’s, and walking through the throng of the crowd.

Can we talk about the crowds? Or the building? It’s all wicked!  We had a blast and would do it again!

The Dells–9-19-2018

My coworker, Wendy (Hi Wendy!) keeps giving me some after work suggestions which is great! Today it was The Dells, a series of small tails, literally in the middle of town. 

 

Diana’s Bath–9-13-2018

Another after work adventure!  I had a week of short hours, just low pt load to be honest.  So instead of going home and vegging out, I hit up a few of the places that are packed on weekends.

The drive there was gorgeous!  I stopped into a few places and did a five min photo stop.  Where I take as many pics in five mins as I can. 

The Bath is really pretty, the water is clear, as much in NH is, and a wonderful smell of clean for some reason struck me.

The sun was great for taking photos of my keys for my key series here!  Many places because of being on a gorge, etc, it’s a struggle or at least a challenge.

I had to stop, the clouds in the 1st pic are outrageous!

Best of October

One of my FAVE months – because, face it, FALL!

2013

2013 brought me to my clinical time in Millinocket Maine – and along with that, mine and Julia’s first real “weekend away” just a weekend in Rockland. 

This Mount Kat picture now hangs as a canvas on our wall – its still one of my faves!

Shells and shells! 

Me and my railroad tracks. 

This was an odd day – the light was musty – then clear, then muddy again.  I played with my camera settings and got this wickedly interesting shot. 

2015

The first few pictures are of TEXAS!  The fun part of being in Clayton, NM was I was an hour away from OK, TX and CO. 

The Balloon Fest in Albuquerque, NM was just phenomenal!  Pictures just can’t hold up to the true beauty of it!

Sunrise in Clayton, NM – I had to dash over to my apartment and get my camera – was a cannot miss moment!

I decided, one Saturday, to go take a ride to find Route 66, I went to Tucomcari, NM – drove around, found a museum and enjoy cruising.

Garden of the Gods!  In Colorado Springs, my birthday weekend, I knew I’d be depressed being away from home – so I booked a night away, and at 6am I was at the park.  I walked, hiked, took 100s of pictures and just over all enjoyed myself.  What a gorgeous area, if you are ever in CO – the place is FREE!  Take the Jeep tour as well!

2016

Ah, colors!

And sun flares!

2017

My nephew, Rhys and I went out one day to Millinocket and took a boat load of pictures…  We worked on perspective, and then he worked on his appetite. 

Sunset – Deer Isle, Maine.

Always trying to find a new way to view the world. 

Beach Time

I decided to skip the gym one afternoon, and go running around on the rocky shores of Sand Beach.

Not the sunniest day, but cold and gorgeous (Its April!)

A Little Drive

Abandoned, overgrown houses and barns always make me think of what would the world look like if people began dying off, or an EMP hit, or some plague struck us down. (Not a zombie thing!). Half eaten meals on a table, VCR tape still jutting from a VCR, a coat draped over a now overturned kitchen chair. Trees and brush sprouting through the basement floors, edging up the stairs and into the 2^nd story of the house. So I decided to go venture out and find a few of these places and just “look around”. I’ve been feeling very lackluster about writing lately, but passionate about taking photos, maybe I could get one to spark the other into gear.

There is a sadness in places like this and a story. Why was the house left like that? Why is all their “stuff” still here. Of the odd things you see while traveling, that make no sense in the realm of the world. The WTF things.

Or the beauty that hides in the areas, the wild grass, the wayward trees, the hidden treasures in the overgrown brush that tangle your feet.

We did come across a car from yesteryear. To which my nephew, Rhys asked “Can we take the steering wheel!” What a guy!

Those places, those once-homes to humans or animals, are relics frozen in time with dust and cobwebs. Snapshots into time that has just transpired, the blink of an eye if you think of the age of this rock we live on.

Sun Set–Rocky Beaches

I say this ALL the time.  I love to chase the light.  I love the sun.  I love sunsets and sun rises.  I was having trouble catching a great sunset on the Island.  They are fleeting and I couldn’t find “the place”.  Then one of the CNA’s at the nursing home told me about the beach. 

Paydirt.

So off I went, found the beach but the sun wasn’t right yet.  I headed up around the other end of the Island and found a place that the sky was just starting to color.

I took off and headed back to the beach and now the light was better.  I walked around, met a great dog who thought I was the devil.  *L*

I sat on the rocks and waited.  I am totally in love with my new lens.  It reacts quick, seems easier to use.  Also – no swapping lenses! 

The sun set slowly that night, so I had all the time in the world to roam around the rocky beach and snap a picture here and a picture there.  Some time to think.  Reflect.  Contemplate. 

I got back in the car before it got to dark and headed back to the dock I’d taken a few pictures at before and snapped a few more. 

Stonington, Maine

So the lil Island I was working at was pretty fun.  Qaunt, throw back to quieter times. I love bridges, as does my brother.  So this is about one of my fave pics I’ve ever taken. 

I got out late most days, so catching the sun was rare.  But then again, overcast can make for great pics too!

Intro to Deer Isle

The wife and I took a quick jaunt to Deer Isle before I began my job there.  Great Island, certainly want to go back someday in the summer!